19 comments:

Interesting how Jeb considers a lynch mob more democratic than the judicial system, but that's typical of horror comics of the time - which were pretty subversive in terms of making kids wonder about authority.

In my book, horror comics should rank up there with rock 'n' roll in terms of helping shape the rebellious sixties.

Oh yeah, and great Jack Cole art. I'm always amazed at how a wonderful humorist like Cole could also do such dark works ...

So...im taking our hero Jed liked to go around showing off his knife to all the townsfolk so they'd recognize it right off the bat?.still i loved this one,what a brutal splash!.and i love how Daws doesn't kill them himself,they just die on their own like the gangsters in THE WALKING DEAD.man Jack Cole was a talent,hell, Wertham even stopped attacking him when he grilled Cole over the vigorousness of his art,realizing that he was basically crucifying a guy for doing GOOD art,and he had lots of notable friends like Hugh Hefner....all that talent,friends,respect and admirers,only to end up like he did...poor,poor jack.

You can't go wrong with Jack Cole art ! Regarding the story in itself I totally agree with Fortress Keeper ; this is one of those stories that made Wertham's goons lose their sleep ...Again , Thanks for sharing with us such jewels !

A TRULY REMARKABLE STORY IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. AMAZING STORY, WELL WRTTEN, AND THEN THERE'S THE ART---YOU HEAR PEOPLE SAY THERE'S GOOD ARTISTS AND THEN THERE'S GREAT ARTISTS. JACK COLE WAS A GREAT ARTIST JUST COMPARE ONE PANEL HERE WITH ANY OF THE REALLY GOOD PANELS FROM WEB OF MYSTERY WEEKEND. I LOVED BOTH OF THOSE STORIES BUT COLE'S ART HERE IS SO ABOVE AND BEYOND ANYTHING IN EITHER ACE STORY YOU JUST HAVE TO SHAKE YOUR HEAD. THIS IS GONNA BE AN AWESOME WEEK I CAN TELL ALREADY

Boy, Jeb sure was AGGRRA!vated! I guess he doesn't cotton to self-AGGGRRRA!ndizing politicians. Say, I wonder what the chief industry of this little hamlet is...maybe AGGRRAAAAA!culture?

A very unusual ghost/revenge story! I mean, it's not often we get to see a ghost's thought-bubbles. "Democratic government must be restored...vooootes...VOOOOOOTTES!"

Great art, like everyone said. The fight scene at the top/middle of pg. 7 is just priceless. That mob only stops when they've run out of bottles, obviously. I also love the curly-wig closeup at the bottom of pg. 3, and the hair-raising in the center of pg. 6--magnificent!

I was wondering why the baddies didn't split town, but I guess the forces of democracy were keeping them in place. But I think my favorite of all was on pg. 1:

"The will to avenge violent treachery is inherent in all of us!"

This is true--we oppose violent treachery on a genetic level. In fact, they've even observed this in primates. Nota Bene: if you take Bonzo's banana, expect SERIOUS REPERCUSSIONS.

My favorites (after the splash page) were the fight scene on p7 (double spine- and skull-cracking action) and the horse trampling on p9 (ouch). I guess if I were to be trampled, a beer wagon would be my choice.

And Vicar, maybe Hawkins had served in India and his impending death drew is thoughts to the Taj Mahal.

There's an eerie Twilight Zone episode written by Rod Serling from Season 5 (episode 26) called "I Am the Night - Color Me Black" which has many similarities to this story: an old west hanging, unscrupulous townfolk, the sun refusing to rise on execution day... further proof in my mind that 'ol Rod occasionally turned to comic books for inspiration.

I actually think The Weird Window story from this issue is pretty cool, not particularly horrific but it has a neat concept. But yeah, stories like The Unknown Ghost and Phantom Flier-- boring. The weirdest thing is this issue probably has one of the best ACG horror covers of them all too!

"...the capital of online comic book horrors... saying "Not the best story THOIA has run" is a bit like saying "one of Beethoven's lesser symphonies!"---Quasar Dragon

"...the object of all horror chicks' wet dreams... a comixkaze of awesome!"---Killer Kittens

"...an online repository of vintage comic fear fare where individual stories from long out-of-print issues are posted in high resolution, page by page. For a fan of EC, Atlas and other Silver Age-era comic companies, it is pure heaven (and hell)..."---Bryan Reesman (Attention Deficit Delirium)